Hi all, new here, but not so new on the pc... I have an interesting issue which would be nice to resolve.

I have acquired some Dell Optiplex FX130 thin client PCs. Specs are as follows - Via Eden ULV cpu at 1Ghz on the Via VX855 chipset with integrated garphics. I have replaced the original ide disk modules with 512mb ones and have installed Porteus Kiosk 3.4.0 on each one. Brilliant, does exactly what I messing about trying to do. However I have hit a snag.

The Dell FX130's using the via GPU output via a DVI-I connector (good HD and all that). When I install Kiosk , after the 4 modules load, it goes to a blinking cursor, black screen and either the monitor stays on or switches off with no detectable signal. So I have tried 5 different monitors with VGA, DVI-I or DVI-D and HDMI inputs, same issue. I have about 20 different types/brands of DVI to VGA adaptors and same issue apart from one and this came with one of the Dell units which is a DVI-I to VGA adaptor and it works everytime with the install and running of KIOSK on each pc.

So with a bit of lateral thinking, I have tried live gparted, live partedmagic (upped the RAM from 1Gb ddr2 667 to 2Gb ddr2 800 and tied 4Gb and 16Gb drives), ubuntu, lubuntu. Same thing happens, no video unless I use the Dell DVI-I to vga adaptor. The only distros that work with anything has been Puppee and Browser Linux but I don't like the dated browser. And that to me points to the Xorg driver, but confuses me as everything works fine with the DVI-I to vga adaptor from DELL. I am waiting for another adaptor to come from Ebay to test this out some more, but has anyone got any ideas on this?

"The only distros that work with anything has been Puppee and Browser Linux but I don't like the dated browser."
Maybe they use older or different (VESA) driver? Please boot one of them, upload /var/log/Xorg.0.log to pastebin.com and link here.

Oh, the other distro that works is the original Devon IT DeTOS thin clien operating system (dated and clunky)..

Moving on, I will get round to copying the log for Xorg...

But, today, I have been messing around with other versions of Puppy Browserlinux. Using the Puppy Vesa and OXorg, it boots to desktop everytime using the non DELL DVI-I adaptor. looking at the colour level, it is set to only 16 or 24bit. I am wondering if the KIOSK driver sets the parameter at 32bit which is too much for the DELL FX130 Via GPU. But that doesn't explain why the DELL DVI-I to VGA dongle works everytime and the non DELL ones don't. (Puppy is being a pain with the inbuilt Realtek LAN card, but thats another issue and not KIOSK related).

So being a Linux user, but not to a high level, I must try altering the Xorg driver to set a lower resolution and colour depth which I could do with some help or pointers....

If you want to force VESA driver then it would be enough it you remastered the ISO and:
- blacklisted drm kernel driver (if any is used) in your_module/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
- copied 003-settings.xzm/etc/X11/xorg.conf-vesa and saved as your_module/etc/X11/xorg.conf

That should give you working adaptors but 1024x768 resolution and no 2D acceleration.

I couldn't get the Xorg or Xvesa log from Puppy, for some reason, I kept getting 'No File Found'... I find it very odd (I have been messing about all day) that it works fine with only one DVI-I to VGA dongle and absolutely no other. I have 4 Optiplex FX130 and one FX170 (intel based) - FX170 is no issue with any, the FX130's I am tearing my hair out with. I have checked the pin outs on the working DVI-I adapter and they are the same as the others.

On the puppy side of things, I was using Browser Linux 501 and 366. 366 worked fine with all dongles on Xvesa, but poor browser support (really old FF).

As I suppose it's a free forum and anyone can express their opinion or post a comment if it not exceeds some limits of decency.
Therefore I'd like to make a remark on topic. Besides, it feels nice to post in the thread where two gentlemen mean serious business.
Not a solution, just my thoughts.

American brands like DELL and HP/Compaq sometimes like to rewire something in the way that their hardware is incompatible with the rest of the world.
Then all accessories required for expanding functionality you have to buy from them.
See what they write in comparison table for FX130 and FX170 about graphics:====FX130====

Integrated VIA VX855 - Up to 512MB frame
bufer using system memory. Supports up
to 1600X1200 32-bit color. Supports single
display. Adapter included to support VGA
monitors. Optional adapter at additional cost
available to support dual displays (DVI + VGA).

If you are sane, you could think DVI-I-to-VGA is a generic converter. If you are DELL and need to sell system made of trash as "best value for server-centric desktop computing
environments (c)", you have a list of supported systems for such accessory ( like here http://accessories.dell.com/sna/product ... u=330-0327 )
So it's no surprise when one tries to search for DVI to VGA adapter specifically for OptiPlex FX130 and finds some exotic.http://www.impactcomputers.com/j6wdf.htmlhttp://picclick.com/Dell-FX170-FX130-Th ... 21205.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Dell-ASSY-DVI-VGA ... B00M26LGUI
Are these J6WDF the ones that didn't work for you?
I don't know what it has inside, maybe some rare chip which linux normally can't recognize or properly work with (or just a reverse order of some pins).
Another thought is that maybe there occurs memory allocation conflict and either linux loads its modules into shared video memory or system steals memory from videochip.
Or linux thinks videomemory is one way and system suddenly changes address.
Hope this post looks clever enough to not being deleted (I even haven't included any memes, see).

Thanks for the response, yes I have some of the Dell dongles and after re reading up on the Via 855 chipset saw the max resolution and colour depth... There are some more things I am going to try, I will keep you posted...

Jus tried again using Slitaz to get the log file and it cannot find it... I have procured some HP T5550 thin clienst with a similar make up to the DELL Optiplex FX130's and I get the same result running KIOSK, boots 4 modules than blinking cursor black screen. So far Browserlinux 366, 501 and Slitaz run ok...

Ok.. Have been playing with Slitaz 3 and got the log file but lost it. Anyway, it was stuck in 800x600 mode and I couldn't figure out editing the conf file.. So I found slitaz-3-xvesa and that works really well, full resolution on a widescreen monitor, from that I must assume that the openchrome driver for the via gpu is buggy and fails on the Xorg driver which is annoying and rather limits my little project for the time being But it doesn't prove the issue of the DVI-I to VGA adaptor from DELL working with the Xorg driver, that stumps me....